Amerika

Name: Amerika
Brand: Penguin Random House NZ
SKU: 9781784875626
Price: 29.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Franz Kafka

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3.74

( 32,642 ratings, 1,859 reviews)

Summary

Amerika by Franz Kafka follows the experiences of Karl Rossmann, a young European immigrant who is sent to America after a scandalous incident. As he attempts to navigate the complexities of his new life, Karl encounters a series of bewildering and often absurd challenges, reflecting Kafka's signature themes of alienation and bureaucracy. The novel remains unfinished, providing a fragmentary insight into Kafka's unique worldview.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by tales of misadventure in strange lands and appreciate Kafka's blend of surreal humour and existential themes. The story follows a young European's adventures in a fantastical version of America, highlighting themes of alienation and the search for identity in an unfamiliar world. Fans of Kafka's unique narrative style and those interested in exploration, both geographic and philosophical, are likely to find this read compelling.

‘No other voice has borne truer witness to the dark of our times’ George Steiner

After an embarrassing sexual misadventure with a servant girl, sixteen-year-old Karl Rossman is banished to America by his parents.

'Perhaps the most interesting writer of his generation... A strange and disconcerting genius' Edwin Muir

Description

Perhaps the most interesting writer of his generation... A strange and disconcerting genius — Edwin Muir

No other voice has borne truer witness to the dark of our times — George Steiner

After an embarrassing sexual misadventure with a servant girl, sixteen-year-old Karl Rossman is banished to America by his parents. Expected to redeem himself in the land of opportunity, Karl's youthful breeziness propels him into a series of bizarre escapades which threaten to ensnare him permanently.

Though dredged with humour and optimism, Kafka's first novel bears his distinctive hallmarks, as young Karl becomes mired in an ever more unreal and oppressive system.

The classic translation by Willa and Edwin Muir

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Amerika by Franz Kafka is highly esteemed for its profound exploration of modernity, capturing the complexities and uncertainties of the 20th century. Critics like George Steiner admire Kafka's ability to illuminate dark themes with unparalleled insight, while Vladimir Nabokov holds him in greater regard than many of his contemporaries, considering him a towering figure in German literature.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784875626

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 April 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 184g

Pages: 256

Collections

Classic Fiction Fiction Franz Kafka General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was born into a Jewish family in Prague. In 1906 he received a doctorate in jurisprudence, and for many years he worked a tedious job as a civil service lawyer investigating claims at the State Worker's Accident Insurance Institute. He never married, and published only a few slim volumes of stories during his lifetime. Meditation, a collection of sketches, appeared in 1912; The Stoker- A Fragment in 1913; Metamorphosis in 1915; The Judgement in 1916; In the Penal Colony in 1919; and A Country Doctor in 1920. The great novels were not published until after his death from tuberculosis- America, The Trial and The Castle.

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